Connector means for upholstery-frame connection



n. 196.7 D c. ALBINSON ETAL 3, 9

CONNECTOR MEANS FOR UPHOLSTERY-FRAME CONNECTION Filed June 10, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 2 15m :2 .....L.. .L. -V L- i4 i i i 5 E1 4 .5. E INVENTORS Dew C flw/A/so/v By C? 05527 Hey/w:

17, 1967 D. c. ALBINSON ETAL CONNECTOR MEANS FOR UPHOLSTERY-FRAME CONNECTION Filed June 10, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR5 00/11 C. ALB/M5041 BY C 05527 HELM:

United States Patent 3,298,743 CONNECTOR MEANS FOR UPHOLSTERY- FRAME CONNECTION Don C. Albinson, Zionsville, and Charles Robert Helms, Old Zionsville, Pa., assignors to Knoll Associates, Inc., New York, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed June 10, 1965, Ser. No. 462,823 5 Claims. (Cl. 297445) This invention relates to an upholstery-frame connection, and, more particularly, to an improved connector means comp-rising a collapsible strip connector which is permanently aflixed to upholstery about its borders or edges and which is received in locking engagement within a cooperating channel in a rigid furniture frame for securing the upholstery to the frame.

The use of either single or superposed layers of upholstery or upholstered cushions on the body supportlng portions of articles of furniture is highly desirable in that the appearance of the furniture is enhanced and the comfort of the occupant of the furniture is greatly increased. Upholstered furniture, however, generally is more expensive than unupholstered furniture due, in large part, to the increased assembly costs arising from the difficulty of securing the upholstery to the frame of the furniture. In addition, upholstered furniture is more expensive to maintain than unupholstered furniture, since the upholstery usually becomes worn through normal use, or soiled or damaged long before the frame of the furniture reaches a state of wear or disrepair requiring its disposal.

It is desirable, whether the furniture be of the type for use in a home or in an oifice, or for use in a public place, that the furniture be of strong, light weight, and relatively inexpensive construction. To minimize the manufacturing costs of the furniture, not only is it necessary to provide a furniture frame and upholstery for use therewith which are both relatively inexpensive, but also it is necessary that the connection for joining the upholstery to the frame permit of rapid, eificient assembly. The assembled furniture nevertheless must be esthetically pleasing in appearance and of durable construction. In particular, the connection between the upholstery and the frame should be unobtrusive and preferably camouflaged from view. Further, the connection must not be subject to easy disassembly, as a result either of malicious tampering or careless use, or as a result of normal wear. Although providing a substantial permanent assembly, it is also desirable that the connection permit replacement of the upholstery without substantial disassembly of the frame and with a minimum of effort; the ability to replace the upholstery extends the useful life of the furniture and reduces the maintenance cost.

There have been proposed heretofore for use in the manufacture of upholstered furniture, numerous combinations of furniture frames and connections for securing upholstery to the frames. Some of these connections also provide for replacing the upholstery to prolong the useful life of the furniture. Most of the prior art connections, however, are rather difficult to assemble and thus contribute to undesirably high manufacturing costs. In addition, replacement of the upholstery is difficult to achieve in that it requires substantial disassembly of both the connection and the associated elements of the furniture frame. Others of the prior art connections do not provide a sufficiently strong, durable connection and still others require the use of metal clips and the like which increase the expense of the connection components and complicate the assembly thereof while detracting from the appearance of the furniture.

One connection taught by the prior art includes an elongated connector strip having a first one of its longitudinal edges secured permanently to one or more sides of 3,298,743 Patented Jan. 17, 1967 the upholstery. The connector strip includes a solid beading along its other, or second longitudinal edge. A channel is provided in the frame elements to which the upholstery is to be secured, the channel having a restricted opening at the surface of the frame elements and an enlarged interior portion. The upholstery is secured to the frame elements by threading the beaded edge of the connector strip into the channel.

Since the frame elements of the furniture are substantially rigid, and the beading on the connector strips is solid, it is necessary that an inlet to the enlarged interior portion of the channel be provided to enable the threading of the heading into the channel. The inlet may be provided by separating butted ends of the frame to expose the channel in a transverse section; however, this provision requires subsequent reassembly of the frame to affix the butted ends together after the threading of the beading is completed. Alternatively, a portion of the channel opening at the surface of the frame elements may be enlarged and the beading threaded through the open ing. In either case, the beaded edge of the connector strip must have a free end to permit the threading into the channel.

The threading of the beading into and through the channel is a rather time-consuming and difiicult task; the threading is particularly troublesome when the frame elements are angularly related and as a result there are corresponding angles or bends in the channel through which the beading must be threaded. In replacing worn or old upholstery, the beaded connector strip must be removed from the channel by the same time-consu1ning threading procedure.

These and other deficiencies of prior art upholsteryframe connections are overcome by the upholstery-frame connection of the invention. The upholstery-frame connection of the invention is an improvement over the connection shown in the copending application of C. R. Helms Serial No. 462,868, filed June 10, 1965, and assigned to the assignee of this invention. The components of the upholstery-frame connection of this invention are relatively low in cost of manufacture and are assembled quickly and easily to provide a connection which is substantially camouflaged from view, and which provides a very neat, finished appearance to the completed article of furniture. Further, the connection provides secure fastening of upholstery to the rigid frame while permitting replacement of the upholstery when desired.

It is, therefore, an object of this invention to provide an improved connector means for an upholstery-frame connection.

A further object of this invention is to provide an improved upholstery-frame connection having a connector strip and a cooperating channel of improved configurations.

Another object of this invention is to provide an up holstery-frame connection of improved construction employing a collapsible strip connector of substantially pliable material.

Still a further object of this invention is to provide an improved upholstery-frame connection employing an elongated collapsible strip connector of substantially pliable material and which is quickly and easily assembled for securing upholstery to the rigid frame of an article of furniture.

Still a further object of this invention is to provide an improved upholstery-frame connection employing an elongated collapsible strip connector of substantially pliable material which is quickly and easily assembled for securing upholstery to a rigid frame of an article of furniture and which permits replacement of the upholstery without disassembly of the furniture frame.

These and other objects of this invention will become apparent as the following description proceeds.

In accordance with the invention, the upholstery-frame connection comprises an elongated strip connector of a pliable, resilient material including, in transverse section, a rib portion and a web portion. The rib portion extends along one longitudinal edge of the connector strip and is of an arrow-head configuration, including a pair of oppositely extending barbs. The web portion is formed integrally with the rib portion and extends therefrom in a tapered configuration from a thickened section adjacent the barbs to a relatively thinner section at the other longitudinal edge of the connector strip. The connector strip is secured, preferably by stitching, to the upholstery about its entire periphery, the ends of the strip being brought together, or butted, preferably at the center of the front edge of the chair seat. The connection also includes a continuous channel in associated elements of the rigid frame to which the upholstery is to be secured, the channel having a restricted opening defined by a pair of lips at the surface of the frame elements and an enlarged interior portion. To secure the upholstery to the frame, the rib portion is compressed, collapsing it inwardly of the chamber, and is inserted through the restricted opening into the channel interior; the rib portion expands within the channel interior, moving the barbs into locking engagement against the interior surfaces of the lips. The connector is inserted progressively into the continuous channel in this manner throughout its length, thereby securing the upholstery continuously about its periphery to the frame. To remove the upholstery, the web portion of the connector strip is grasped at one of the butted ends adjacent the rib portion, for example by a pair of pliers. Compressing the web portion partially collapsing the rib portion, facilitating its removal from the channel; the strip may then be grasped by hand and removed from the channel progressively throughout its length. New upholstery material, with a new connector strip aflixed thereto, then is secured to the frame as hereinbefore described.

The invention will more readily be appreciated with reference to the following drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a molded-shell chair having a rigid frame with a continuous channel therein for receiving the connector of the invention to secure upholstery to the frame;

FIG. 2 is a top view of a portion of the chair of FIG. 1, taken in plane passing through the line 2-2 of FIG. 1, and shows certain details of the chair seat construction;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of a portion of the chair of FIG. 1, taken in a plane passing through the line 3 3 of FIG. 1, and shows the assembled upholstery-frame connection of the invention securing upholstery to the rigid frame of the chair, the upholstery covering a cushion received on the chair shell;

FIG. 4 is a transverse sectional view of the connector strip of the invention, shown on an enlarged scale relative to FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a transverse sectional view of the components of the upholstery-frame connection of the invention, showing the connector strip prior to insertion into a cooperating channel in a rigid frame of an article of furniture;

FIG. 6 is a view generally similar to the left-hand portion of FIG. 3, and shows the assembled upholstery-frame connection of the invention;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a chair having a rigid, skeletal frame including continuous channels for receiving a connector strip, in accordance with the invention, and shows, in broken-away fashion, upholstered cushions secured to the skeletal frame by the upholstery-frame connection of the invention; and

FIG. 8 is a sectional view taken in a plane passing through the line 88 of FIG. 7 and shows an upholstered cushion secured to the frame of the chair of FIG. 7 by the upholstery-frame connection of the invention.

In FIG. 1, chair 1 includes a rigid, contoured frame 2 which is formed conveniently as an extrusion of aluminum or similar material and which provides the main structural support of the body-receiving portion of the chair 1. The frame 2 includes back elements 2a and seat elements 2b joined in continuous, integral fashion by intermediate, curved elements 20. A first channel 3 and a second channel 4 extend continuously about the inner surface of the frame 2.

A molded shell 5, preferably formed of plastic or similar material, is contoured to provide a back portion 5a and a seat portion 5b, joined in continuous, integral fashion by an intermediate curved portion 50. The shell 5 includes an integral flange 6 formed in continuous fashion about the periphery thereof, and is mounted on the rigid frame 2 by inserting the flange 6 into the first channel 3. Both the seat shell 5 and the frame 2 are sufliciently flexible and resilient to permit of a slight, temporary distortion for inserting the flange 6 of the shell 5 into the channel 3.

If desired, however, the frame 2 may be cut at one or more places, and the cut ends, which are normally held together in butted relationship, as indicated by the numeral 7, spread apart to enlarge the dimensions of the frame 2, thereby facilitating the insertion of the flange 6 into the channel 3 to mount the shell 5 within the frame 2. Following the assembly, the frame 2 is drawn tightly about the shell 5, locking the flange 6 within the channel 3 and the cut ends of the frame 2 are joined together.

The construction of seat support 10 and base support 20 of the chair 1 is discussed with concurrent reference to the drawings of FIGS. 1, 2 and 3. The seat support 111 includes a plurality of generally horizontal, contoured rods 12, each of which is joined .at its opposite ends to a corresponding one of a pair of mounting plates 13. The rods 12 are joined to the mounting plates 13 in spaced-apart relationship by welding, as indicated by weld beads 14. The rods 12 are also joined to a base plate 15.

The base plate 15 is typically of a rectangular configuration and is received on the seat portion 5b of the shell 5 in a generally horizontal plane. The longitudinal edges of the base plate 15 are bent upwardly to provide a pair of vertical flanges 16 which are provided with aligned cut-outs 17 suitably disposed therein for receiving corresponding ones of the rods 12 in spacedapart relationship. The rods 12 are fitted within the corresponding cut-outs 17 and welded to the flanges 16. If desired, the rods 12 also may be welded to the generally flat, intermediate portion of the base plate 15.

The mounting plates 13 each include a laterally extending flange 13a which is received within the channel 3 of the rigid frame 2. As shown in FIG. 3, the channel 3 may be made sufficiently large for receiving both the peripheral flange 6 of the shell 5 and the laterally extending flange 13a of the mounting plate 13 in superposed relationship. If desired, however, the shell 5 and its peripheral flange 6 may be cut out, or removed, in the portions thereof underlying the mounting plates 13 such that only the laterally extending flange 13:: need be inserted into the channel 3. In such a case, the channel 3 may be of a reduced size sufficient for receiving only the mounting plate flange 13a or the shell flange 6, and the latter share the channel 3 in alternate fashion. Pins 18 or other fastening devices may be driven through suitable aligned apertures in the frame 2 and the flanges 6 and 13a to secure the shell 5 and the mounting plates 13, respectively, to the frame 2.

The body-receiving portion of the chair 1 is mounted on a base support 21 The base support 20 includes a tubular column 21 having a coaxial tubular insert 22 telescoped within the top end thereof. The column 21 passes upwardly through an aperture 23 provided in the seat portion 5b of the shell 5 and the tubular insert 22 extends upwardly therefrom and is received within an aperture 24 in the central, generally horizontal portion of the base plate 15. The top edge of the tubular insert 22 typically is welded to the portion of the base plate surrounding the aperture 24. Thebase support further is provided with legs 26 of any suitable configuration to provide stabilizing support for the chair 1 on an underlying supporting surface such as a floor.

FIG. 3 shows a cushion 31 received on the shell 5 and held in place by upholstery 37 which is secured to the rigid frame 2 of the chair by the upholstery-frame connection of the invention. As shown in partial section, and with certain elements exaggerated in size to clarify the drawings, the cushion 31 includes aresilient cushioningelement 32, preferably of foam rubber, encasedwithin a cover 33, preferably of Dacron. The upholsteryframe connection of the invention includes an elongated connector strip 34 which is secured by one or more rows of stitching 35 to the border or edge 36 of the upholstery 37, extending substantially continuously about its entire periphery. As presently preferred, the endsof the strip are butted, or brought together, .at the front edge of-the chair seat. The connector strip 34 is lockingly engaged within the second channel 4 of the frame 2 to secure .the uph olstery 37 thereto. Preferably, the

cushion 31 is made oversize to. bulge the upholstery 37 I upwardly, thereby providing a taut, smooth surface.

The connector strip 34 of the invention isshown in transverse section in FIG. 4 and on an enlarged scale relative to FIG. 3. The connector strip 34 is formed of a pliable, resilient material and includes a rib portion- 40'extending along one longitudinal edge. The rib portion 40 is of an arrowhead configuration and includes a pair of barbs 41 extending outwardly from the opposite sides of the connector strip 34; preferably, the barbs are angularly undercut, as shown. The connector strip. 34 further includes a web portion 42 extending between the -rib portion 40 and the other, or opposite longitudinal edge of the connector strip 34. The web portion 42 includes a thickened sectionv 42a adjacent the barbs 41 and tapers to a relatively thinner section 42b adjacent the other longitudinal edge of the connector. strip 34. If desired, of course, the web portion 42 -may' be of a constant thickness.

Interior, spaced walls 43 define a hollow, elongated chamber 44 which extends partially within the rib portion 40 and partially within the thickened section 42a of the web portion. 42 throughout the entire length of the elongated strip connector 34. The provision of the hollow chamber 44 permits compressing the rib portion 40 to draw the barbs 41 inwardly; when compressed, the rib portion 40 can be inserted through-a more narrow opening than in its natural configuration.

With concurrent reference to FIGS. 3, 5 and 6, the

, rigidframe 2 includes inwardly extending lips 47 defining. a restricted opening at the surface of the frame 2* and providing a passageway to the enlarged, interior portion 48 of the channel 4. The cushion 31 is positioned on the shell 5 in approximately the desired, final orientation, and the upholstery 37 is placed on it, with the 43 inwardly into the chamber 44. The barbs 41 thereby are drawn inwardly, enabling the rib portion 40 to beinserted through the restricted opening of the channel 4 between the lips 47.

the rib portion 40, due to its arrowhead configuration, may be merely forced into the channel, collapsing automatically as it passes through the restricted opening and subsequently resiliently expanding within the interior of The initial collapsing step described above assists in starting the insertion; thereafter,

.to facilitate the withdrawal.

the channel. Preferably, a lubricant, such 'as silicone, is sprayed onto the rib portion to facilitate the insertion.

As shown in FIG. 6, the interior portion 48 of the channel 4 is somewhat deeper than the width of the rib portion 40 to assure that it will be received completely therewithin; except for this difference, the cross-sections are substantially similar, and the rib-portion 40 resiliently expands onto close-fitting engagement within the interior portion 48, the angularly undercut barbs 41 moving into hooked engagement with the lip 47 to securely lock the connector strip 34 to the frame 2. The. web portion 42, due to its reduced thickness relative to that of the barbs 41, passes through the restricted'opening of the channel 4.

Since the rib portion 40 is locked within the frame 2 and the thin section 42b is sewn within'the border 36 ofthe upholstery 37, the edges of the connector strip 34 are concealed from view when the connection of the invention is assembled. Further, the .web portion 42 of the connector strip 34, in addition to its securing function, spans the gap-between the border 36 and the frame 2, and the thickened portion 42a substantially closes, or

fills, the restricted opening of the channel 4, thereby providing aneat, finished appearance to the assembled furniture.

The upholstery 37 secures the cushion 31 in non-sliding, non-displaceable relationship on the shell 5 and relative to the frame 2; the connection remains secure and is not subject to disengagement under conditions of normal wear. Since the connection includes no protrusions, separate fastening elements such as metal clips, or the like, it discourages persons from inadvertently or even maliciously tampering therewith and assures a long period of use of the upholstered furniture.

The connection of the invention enables the upholstery 37 to be removed from the frame 2 without the necessity ofany disassembly of the frame 2. The web portion 42 of the connector strip 34 is grasped at one of the butted ends adjacentthe rib portion and the latter is forcibly withdrawnfrom within the channel 4. The grasping conveniently maybe accomplished by apair of pliers; preferably, the hollow chamber 44 extends sufficiently into the thickened section, 42a of the web portion 42 such that grasping of the latter by the pliers 'collapses the rib portion 42, drawing the barbs 41 inwardly The strip 34 then may be grasped by hand and withdrawn from the channel 4progressively throughout its length. New upholstery, with a new connector strip affixed thereto, then is mounted on the frame 2 is hereinbefore described.

In FIGS. 1 to 6, the Weight of the occupant of the chair 1 is transmitted through the cushion 31 and exerted upon the shell 5, which then supports the occupants body from the frame 2 of the chair. Thus, the upholsteryframe connection of the invention serves primarily to secure the upholstery 37 to .the frame 2 and thereby to hold the cushion 31 in. non-sliding relationship on the shell 5, and does not assist in supporting the weight of the occupant. However, the connection of the invention may servev a dual function, both securing upholster to a chair frame and supporting the weight of the occupant of the chair.

In FIG. 7 is shown a chair having a rigid, skeletal frame to which a seat cushion 71 and a back cushion 72 (shown in a broken-away view) are secured. The chair 60 has no support structure underlying the cushions 71 and 72, but rather the cushions 71 and 72 must receive and support the weight of the occupant of the chair 60 and transmit the weight to the frame of the chair 60. By suitable dimensioning of its components, the upholstery-frame connection of the invention may be employed to secure the cushions 71 and 72 to the chair frame 60' and provide support for the weight of the occupant of the chair.

The chair 60 includes a plurality of legs 61 joined at the top extremities thereof to a pair of side frame elea thicker section 92a to a thinner section 9212. walls 93 define an enclosed chamber 94 which provides 7 ments 62 and 63, a front frame element 64 and rear frame element 65. The frame elements 62 to 65 preferably are formed integrally and define the seat-supporting portion of the chair 60. The frame elements 62 to 65 include a continuous channel 66 on the inner surfaces thereof. The rear frame element 65 and the rear pair of legs 61 are also integral with associated ones of a pair of back frame elements 67 and 68 and a top frame element 69, the frame elements 65 and 67 to 69 being formed integrally and defining the back-supporting portion of the chair 60. The frame elements 65 and 67 to 69 include chair. The back cushion 72 is connected to the chair frame in a generally identical manner.

The side frame elements 62 and 63 are formed conveniently as aluminum extrusions, and include pairs of lips 75 and 76, respectively, which define a restricted opening at the surface of the frame elements 62 and 63,

respectively, and provide a passageway into interior portion 77 of the channel 66. A connector strip 80 is secured to the cushion 71 by a row of stitching 81 at the border between upholstery 83 on the bottom and upholstery 84 on the sides of the cushion 71. The upholstery 83 is a heavy-weight, high-strength fabric, whereas the upholstery 84 and 85 covering the sides and the top,

respectively, of the cushion 71 is a relatively lighterweight, decorative fabric. The upholstery throughout, however, must be suificiently strong such that it will not tear or stretch when the weight of an occupant of the chair is received on the cushion 71.

The connector strip 80 is generally identical in configuration to the connector strip 34 discussed in FIGS. 3 and 6 and includes a rib portion 90 having a pair of barbs 91, and a web portion 92 which preferably is tapered from Interior for compressing the rib portion 90 to draw the barbs 91 inwardly, thereby to facilitate the insertion of the rib portion 90 into the channel 66. The connector strip 80 is made of increased size relative to the connector strip 34 to assure suificient strength for supporting the occupant of the chair, and the channel 66 is correspondingly increased in size. The channel 66 is made somewhat to the simplicity of the skeletal frame and due to the ease with which the upholstered cushions 71 and 72 are secured to their associated frame elements. It is apparent, of course, that a non-cushioned, upholstered back or a solid back chair may be made, having only the seat cushion 71. As a further alternative, footstools may be con- :structed in a generally identical maner, but on a reduced :size, as the seat portion of the chair 60.

Although the embodiments of the invention hereinbetfore disclosed shoW the use of a connector strip which :surrounds the entire periphery of the upholstery which is to be connected to the rigid frame of the article of furniture, in many cases it may be desirable to employ the connector along one or less than all sides of the upholstery. For example, in a chair having a solid back, there may be positioned at the top of the back a rigid frame element including a channel for receiving an elon-' gated connector strip, in accordance with the invention.

LAn upholstered cushion, having the connector strip secured to the edge thereof, may be joined to the chair .back by inserting the .cqnnectprstrip intothe channel, and

8 hang freely from the frame element against the chair back.

Another embodiment in which the upholstery-frame connection of the invention finds ready application is in connecting narrow strips of material to the rigid frame of an article of furniture, such as commonly found in outdoor furniture. The narrow strips usually are woven in an open, grid-like manner and each is secured at its opposite ends to the frame. The connector strip of the .invention may be joined, as by sewing, to each of the ends of the narrow strips and a channel may be provided in the rigid frame for receiving the strip connector, as hereinbeforedescribed. The strips may be held in spaced-apart relationship by plugs inserted into the channel intermediate the opposed ends of two connector strips which join adjacent ones of the narrow strips of woven material to the frame. If desired, the channel, rather than being continuous, may be formed in short segments spaced at selected intervals along the frame, at which intervals the strips are attached. Such a grid of strips may serve, rather than as the upholstery of the chair itself, as an underlying supporting surface on which cushions are mounted by snaps or the like; alternatively, the grids may be formed integrally with the cushions for securing the latter to the chair frame.

In summary, the upholstery-frame connection of the invention is low in cost and is quickly and easily assembled for securing upholstery, whether single or superposed layers of upholstery or a woven grid of strips of material, or an upholstered cushion, to the rigid frame elements of articles of furniture. The connection may be employed primarily to hold upholstery in n0n-sliding, .nondisplaceable relationship on a chair having an underlying support surface, such as a contoured shell, on which the upholstery is received; alternatively, the connection may be employed to secure upholstery to a skeletal chair frame in which the upholstery directly supports the weight of the chairs occupant. When assembled, the connection is substantially camouflaged from view, and provides the furniture with a neat, finished appearance. The connection of theinvention also permits replacement of the upholstery without requiring any disassembly of the furniture frame. 7

Numerous modifications and adaptations of the upholstery-frame connection of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art, and thus it is intended by the appended claims to cover all such modifications and adaptations which fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.

What we claim is:

1. An upholstery-frame connection for securing upholstery to an article of furniture having a rigid, skeletal frame, said connection comprising: 1

(a) a set of body-supporting frame elements including a continuous channel extending about and having a restricted opening at the surface thereof,

(b) an elongated connector strip of resilient material including a web portion and a rib portion,

(c) said rib portion being formed integrally with said web portion along a first longitudinal edge thereof and including a pair of barbs extending outwardly from opposite side of said web portion, said rib portion being hollowand defining an elongated chamber therein,

((1) said web portionbeing secured to said upholstery along a second longitudinal edge thereof, and

(e) said rib portion being compressible by collapsing inwardly of said elongated chamber to draw said barbs inwardly for insertion through said restricted opening and being resiliently expansible within said channel to move said barbs into locking engagement therein for securing said upholstery to said rigid frame. i

2. An upholstery-frame connection as recited in claim 1 wherein:

(a) said frame includes a pair of opposed, elongated lips defining said restricted opening of said channel on the surface of said frame,

(b) said elongated channel of said frame has a configuration in transverse section therethrough corresponding to said rib portion, and

(c) "said barbs of said rib portion move into locking engagement with said lips upon the resilient expansion of said rib portion within said channel.

3. Arr upholstery-frame connection for securing upholstery" to a rigid frame of an article of furniture, said connection comprising:

(a) upholstery for the body-supporting portion of said article of furniture, said upholstery having a continuous edge defining the periphery thereof,

(b) said frame including a continuous channel having a restricted opening at the surface of said frame,

() an elongated connector strip of resilient material including a web portion and a rib portion,

(d) said rib portion being formed integrally with said web portion along a first longitudinal edge thereof and including a pair of barbs extending outwardly from opposite sides of said web portion, and said rib portion being hollow and defining an elongated chamber therein,

(e) said web portion extending in a tapered configuration from a thicker section adjacent said rib portion to a thinner section adjacent a second longitudinal edge of said web,

(f) said connector strip being secured along said second longitudinal edge of said web portion to said upholstery about the periphery thereof and extending from said periphery to position said rib portion in juxtaposed relationship with the continuous channel of said rigid frame, and

(g) said rib portion being compressible by collapsing inwardly of said elongated chamber to draw said barbs inwardly for insertion through said restricted opening and said rib portion being resiliently expansible within said channel to move said barbs into locking engagement therein for securing said upholstery to said rigid frame.

4. A connector as recited in claim 3 wherein said elongated chamber is disposed interiorly of both said rib portion and the thicker section of said web portion, both said rib portion and the thicker section of said web portion being compressible by collapsing inwardly of said elongated chamber.

5. An upholstery-frame connection as recited in claim 3 wherein:

(a) said frame includes a pair of opposed, elongated lips defining said restricted opening of said channel on the surface of said frame,

(b) said elongated channel of said frame has a configuration in transverse section therethrough corresponding to said rib portion, and

(c) said barbs of said rib portion move into locking engagement with said lips upon the resilient expansion of said rib portion within said channel and the thicker section of said web portion extends through and substantially fills said restricted opening of said channel.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,101,124 12/1937 Young 5353.3 X 3,114,578 12/1963 Hamilton 297-460 3,175,269 3/1965 Raduns et al 24265 3,179,469 4/1965 Heuston 297452 3,208,085 9/1965 Grimshaw 5345 3,222,696 12/1965 Grimshaw 5355 3,223,450 12/1965 Pollock 297-445 FRANK B. SHERRY, Primary Examiner. CASMIR A. NUNBERG, Examiner. 

1. AN UPHOLSTERY-FRAME CONNECTION FOR SECURING UPHOLSTERY TO AN ARTICLE OF FURNITURE HAVING A RIGID, SKELETAL FRAME, SAID CONNECTION COMPRISING: (A) A SET OF BODY-SUPPORTING FRAME ELEMENTS INCLUDING A CONTINUOUS CHANNEL EXTENDING ABOUT AND HAVING A RESTRICTED OPENING AT THE SURFACE THEREOF, (B) AN ELONGATED CONNECTOR STRIP OF RESILIENT MATERIAL INCLUDING A WEB PORTION AND A RIB PORTION, (C) SAID RIB PORTION BEING FORMED INTEGRALLY WITH SAID WEB PORTION ALONG A FIRST LONGITUDINAL EDGE THEREOF AND INCLUDING A PAIR OF BARBS EXTENDING OUTWARDLY FROM OPPOSITE SIDE OF SAID WEB PORTION, SAID RIB PORTION BEING HOLLOW AND DEFINING AN ELONGATED CHAMBER THEREIN, (D) SAID WEB PORTION BEING SECURED TO SAID UPHOLSTERY ALONG A SECOND LONGITUDINAL EDGE THEREOF, AND 